PARLIAMENT is next week expected to consider a motion to impeach President Robert Mugabe, as the beleaguered Zanu PF leader’s exit from national politics after over half a century, looks more likely with each passing day.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
Mugabe’s power grip was frozen on Wednesday morning after a series of events that culminated in the military taking over and placing him under house arrest.
Mugabe, according to security sources, had tried to have Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga arrested and charged with treason along with other military generals in the aftermath of a stinging rebuke delivered by the army boss on Monday.
Chiwenga’s shocking public rebuke of Mugabe came following the expulsion of former Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa two weeks ago as the Zanu PF succession wars took a nasty turn.
Sources yesterday said MDC-T Mabvuku-Tafara MP James Maridadi had notified the Speaker of Parliament of his intention to move a motion to impeach Mugabe.
“Maridadi will move the motion and he has support from across the political divide. Zanu PF MPs agree Mugabe must go,” NewsDay Weekender heard.
“In fact, (National Assembly Speaker Jacob) Mudenda was given notice of the motion on Wednesday”.
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Mudenda denied any knowledge of the notice. “I have not seen it,” he said curtly.
Maridadi could neither confirm nor deny the development.
“Get all the information from the people who told you. I cannot discuss parliamentary procedures that have not yet been discussed,” he said.
NewsDay Weekender, however, heard that Maridadi had spent the better part of Wednesday trying to push Mudenda to recall Parliament and allow for debate on the motion yesterday “even if it meant people debating through out the night to Saturday (today)”.
Mudenda, however, only agreed to convene Parliament next Tuesday.
Zanu PF, according to sources, was also considering pushing for a parliamentary no-confidence vote on Mugabe, as the multi-pronged approach to get rid of the 93-year-old Zanu PF leader reached fever-pitch in the aftermath of his refusal to resign under military pressure.
Unconfirmed reports indicated that in a last-ditch effort, Mugabe had tried to force Mudenda to suspend Parliament.
“Mugabe has tried to suspend Parliament in order to stall his inevitable departure,” sources said.
But the country’s head of the legislature could neither deny nor confirm the claim.
“I am not commenting on that issue. I am not saying anything,” Mudenda said yesterday.
The military seems unwilling to shift the current scenario into a full-blown coup for fear of international isolation and sanctions.
